EEG Brain Mapping core

Core Director: Prof. Christoph Michel

The EEG Brain Mapping core includes laboratories both at the University Medical Center (CMU) and the University Hospital (HUG) in Geneva, and also at the University Hospital in Lausanne. Prof. Christoph Michel from the University of Geneva is the director of the core and responsible for the laboratories in Geneva. PD Dr. Micah Murray from the University of Lausanne is the associate director of the core and responsible for the laboratories in Lausanne. The principal staff of the core include a software engineer (Mr. Denis Brunet), an applied physicist (Dr. Marzia de Lucia), and an experimental psychologist (Dr. Juliane Britz).

The instrumentation platform of the EEG Brain Mapping core includes 256-channel EEG systems with very fast electrode application time (ideal for clinical studies), as well as multiple portable EEG systems. Importantly, these systems are MRI-compatible and thus allow for simultaneous EEG-fMRI studies. Additionally, a combined EEG-TMS system will also be available.

The EEG Brain Mapping core also develops cutting-edge spatio-temporal signal analysis tools that are at the basis for using EEG as a spatio-temporal brain imaging method. These tools are contained within our customized software, Cartool (http://brainmapping.unige.ch/Cartool.htm), which includes user-friendly graphical interfaces for the full gamut of EEG analyses. Cartool is an important vehicle for methodological developments of the EEG Brain Mapping core and is now an internationally-recognized software, used by more than 50 laboratories worldwide.

The key scientific interest of the EEG Brain Mapping core is to understand the spatio-temporal mechanisms underlying brain function and dysfunction, including how development, learning, and disease modify brain networks. Today, it is possible to use EEG as a true brain imaging technique. The high temporal resolution of EEG allows for investigations of brain function at a sub-millisecond timescale. Improved spatial resolution, including the capability to localize surface-recorded electrical activity is provided by the combination of improvements in source reconstruction algorithms with the high-density electrode arrays. As such, the 3-dimensional distribution of brain activity can be measured in real time, making it possible to study the mechanisms by which information is exchanged across brain regions, including oscillatory and synchronized neuronal activity.

The simplicity and flexibility of recording EEG makes it ideal for the combination with other brain imaging techniques. The combination with fMRI further increases the spatial resolution. The combination with diffusion imaging allows for the tracking of connections between specific nodes of a proposed functional network. The combination with TMS allows for direct causal inferences concerning the role of specific brain regions.

The EEG core and its research platform are available to research groups interested in clinical, cognitive, and translational neuroscience. Our faculty and staff in both Lausanne and Geneva can assist in the planning of the experimental design, as well as in data recording and analyses.
Please contact Prof. Christoph Michel (christoph.michel@medecine.unige.ch) or PD Dr. Micah Murray (micah.murray@chuv.ch) for details on how to prepare your research protocol.